Horne Announces Attorney General Office to Pay Mohave County Sheriff $420,000.00 to Augment Colorado City Patrols

PHOENIX (Thursday, June 7, 2012) -- Attorney General Tom Horne today announced that the Attorney General's Office will pay $420,000 to the Mohave County Sheriff for overtime pay to patrol Colorado City 16 hours per day. The hours will be staggered, so that wrongdoers can feel the presence of the Sheriff's Office 24 hours a day.

"This action is necessary because of evidence that local police placed their allegiance to Warren Jeffs over their duty to enforce the law objectively, regardless of people's religion," Horne said. "A vote to replace local Police with the Sheriff's Office narrowly failed in the Legislature this year, and this grant will serve as a bridge until next year, when hopefully the legislation with pass."

This year, the House Committee on Government heard detailed testimony that the seven members of local law enforcement: (1) All were loyal to Warren Jeffs rather than the law; (2) If one were not totally loyal to Warren Jeffs, he would lose his job, his wives and his children; (3) That when girls try to escape from their harems, local police catch them and drag them back, so that they are prisoners; (4) That local police have participated in expelling about 1,000 young men to other cities or highways (to hitchhike) so that the old men can dominate the young girls without competition; and (5) that it is useless to go after the police officers one at a time because they are replaced by other FLDS officers loyal to Jeffs.

Mohave County Sheriff Tom Sheahan said, "I sincerely appreciate the commitment and the financial resources provided by Attorney General Tom Horne. This funding will allow us to increase our patrol presence in Colorado City and provide unbiased law enforcement services that the citizens do not have with the Town Marshal's Office."

The $420,000 comes from asset forfeiture funds obtained through criminal drug prosecutions, known as Federal Asset Sharing. The Federal Government has approved this grant. It will take effect when it is accepted by the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, July 2.

Horne concluded, "I am grateful to Sheriff Sheahan for his willingness to take on these added duties to ensure that all Arizonans have access to law enforcement professionals."